This invention relates to room air conditioners, and more particularly it is concerned with a room air conditioner of the vertical type having a compact overall size.
A conventional air conditioner of the vertical type will be described with reference to the drawings before describing the present invention to particularly point out the characterizing features thereof. FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of a conventional air conditioner of the vertical type which has hitherto been in use, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1. As shown in these figures, the room air conditioner includes a cabinet 1 the interior of which is divided into an indoor portion 10 and an outdoor portion 11 by a partition plate 12 secured to a bottom 9 of the cabinet 1. A motor 5 is supported on a side of the partition plate 12 which faces the outdoor portion 11 of the cabinet 1 and includes a rotary shaft 5a which is disposed horizontally (i.e. parallel to the bottom 9), a portion of the rotary shaft 5a penetrating the partition plate 12 and extending into the indoor portion 10.
Mounted in the indoor portion 10 of the cabinet 1 are a centrifugal fan 3 secured to the rotary shaft 5a, a spiral casing 4 secured to the partition plate 12 and disposed in enclosing relation to the Silocco fan 3, and an indoor heat exchanger 2 located adjacent the spiral casing 4 on a side thereof opposite the Silocco fan 3. Housed in the outdoor portion 11 of the cabinet 1 are a propeller fan 6 secured to the rotary shaft 5a of the fan motor 5, an outdoor heat exchanger 7 disposed in spaced juxtaposed relation to the propeller fan 6, a cover 15 interconnecting the propeller fan 6 to the outdoor heat exchanger 7, and a compressor 8 mounted on the bottom 9. Inlet ports 1a for introducing air into the interior of the cabinet are formed at opposite sides of the outdoor portion 11 of the cabinet 1.
In the room air conditioner constructed as aforesaid, the fan motor 5 and the compressor 8 are actuated, so that a refrigerant compressed in the compressor 8 has its temperature raised. The heated refrigerant is supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 7 and cooled by a stream of air B produced by the rotation of the propeller fan 6. Then the cooled refrigerant is supplied to the indoor heat exchanger 2 where the refrigerant is expanded to cool the indoor heat exchanger 2, so that a stream of air A produced by the rotation of the Silocco fan 3 is cooled by the heat exchanger 2. The refrigerant is thereafter returned to the compressor.
Some disadvantages are associated with the room air conditioner of the prior art constructed as aforementioned. They include the following:
a. The arrangement in which the indoor heat exchanger 2, Silocco fan 3, fan motor 5, propeller fan 6 and outdoor heat exchanger 7 are disposed axially of the rotary shaft 5a of the fan motor or horizontally from the indoor portion to the outdoor portion of the cabinet makes it impossible to reduce the thickness T of the cabinet 1. This makes it impossible to obtain a compact overall size in a room air conditioner of the vertical type. PA1 b. Since the outdoor air inlet ports la are formed at the opposite sides of the cabinet 1, there is the possibility of the inlet ports 1a being closed by walls of the building in which the room air conditioner is to be installed. Where there is a hand rail or other obstacles on the outdoor side of the position in which the room air conditioner is to be installed, the outdoor air inlet ports 1a may be disposed within the room because the room air conditioner should be mounted in such a manner that it projects into the inside of the room. Thus limitations are placed on the position in which the air conditioner is installed. PA1 c. A larger volume of air must be supplied to the outdoor heat exchanger 7 than to the indoor heat exchanger 2. This makes it necessary to increase the dimensions of the propeller fan 6. Because of this, the cabinet 1 must have a widthwise dimension which is larger than the outer diameter of the propeller fan 6, thereby making it impossible to obtain a compact overall size in a room air conditioner of the vertical type. PA1 d. The Silocco fan 3 is arranged such that the stream of air delivered thereby in a tangential direction first strikes the top of the casing 1. Thus the stream of air of high speed delivered by the centrifugal fan 3 impinges on the ceiling of the cabinet 1, and is supplied to the room after changing its direction of flow substantially at right angles to the original stream from the fan 3. A large resistance is offered to the flow of the air at the point where the stream of the air changes its direction of flow. This makes it imperative to increase the power of the centrifugal fan 3, and thus a great deal of noise is produced by the fan.